May 8 is World Migratory Bird Day which celebrates the conservation and watching of birds. Most people love birds – some 45 million Americans are bird watchers – so it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t protect them from harm.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) is one of our oldest wildlife conservation laws, and its passage signaled the beginning of a wildlife protection ethic that continues a century later. The MBTA was signed into law on July 3, 1918, following the extinction of the once plentiful passenger pigeon and at a time when millions of birds were dying every year so their feathers could be used to decorate fashionable ladies’ hats. The Act made it unlawful to “pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” any migratory bird species without a permit.
Biden Administration, Congress Must Act Quickly To Protect Our Nation’s Birds
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) is one of our oldest wildlife conservation laws, and its passage signaled the beginning of a wildlife protection ethic that continues a century later. The MBTA was signed into law on July 3, 1918, following the extinction of the once plentiful passenger pigeon and at a time when millions of birds were dying every year so their feathers could be used to decorate fashionable ladies’ hats. The Act made it unlawful to “pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” any migratory bird species without a permit.
Biden Administration, Congress Must Act Quickly To Protect Our Nation’s Birds